How can I work with a Virtual Assistant if we’re not working from the same office?
Do you find yourself with more on your hands than you can manage? You’re forgetting to follow up on invoices and sales opportunities are slipping through the net. Even working longer hours to try to keep on top of your never-ending to-do list isn’t working. If you carry on with this solo approach you’re heading for burnout and fast – could delegation be the answer?
Virtual work is becoming increasingly popular, and there is a growing trend towards SMEs – and even large corporates – hiring staff to work for them remotely. Many business owners delegate a portion of their workload to an experienced Virtual Assistant (VA): capable administrative professionals who can take on a raft of business support tasks.
If you’re uncertain about how you’d build an effective working relationship with an assistant who is virtual, as opposed to a PA who is sat with you in an office, then consider your other professional relationships and interactions for a moment. I bet the majority of them are conducted virtually, at least to some extent. In fact, Virtual Assistants can perform all the duties that an in-house PA can – OK, perhaps not bringing you a coffee! Working together with a mix of phone calls, emails and utilising technology such as WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime, Hangouts, Trello, Basecamp, Slack, and dozens of other communication tools, you shouldn’t struggle to build an effective workflow, and a great working relationship, before you know it.
“Be a great delegator and don’t try to do everything yourself.”
Tip: Here’s a great way to maximise your efficiency, and possibly gain some health benefits, too. Standing up at your desk for all or part of your workday is becoming increasingly common as an effective way to boost your energy. You can then take this strategy a step further and consider having standing meetings. They’re especially useful if you need things to make progress quickly, as when you forgo chairs completely people don’t tend to ‘settle in’ – it encourages them to get to the point and move on with their day.
So, how do you go about deciding which tasks to outsource? A good place to start is to take a look at your day-to-day, and think about which tasks are draining your energy and diverting your attention away from growing your business and the things you enjoy: Are you still managing your own inbox? Booking your own travel? Managing your own social media platforms? It’s often surprising the wide range of business support and personal administrative tasks that can be handled by a Virtual Assistant.
All good Virtual Assistants offer a no-obligation introductory call, so you’ll be able to discuss how to split up your work – if you’re not sure if it’s something that could be handled by a VA then just ask, we may well surprise you! Once you delegate those time-consuming tasks that have been holding you back, you can then focus your time and energy on the tasks that truly require your input – the tasks that drive your business forward.
What could you achieve with all of that extra time if you delegated a portion of your workload to a Virtual Assistant? What could it mean for your business? What could it mean for your work–life balance?
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My name is Selina Johnson and I'm an elite Virtual Assistant providing Virtual Business Support to Executives. We help SME's with administrative, technical and creative support so you are free to grow your business and increase your profits.
Contact us today to discuss how we can add value to your business.
01234 602596
hello@selinajohnson.com
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